Tag Archives: vacation

A Type Five and a couple of Type Twos took a trip, and the some of the differences were text book.

On the plane, when a baby was crying the Type 5 picked up a magazine and gave them privacy, the Type Twos were twisting around in their seats trying to offer help and solutions… the Type Five had researched the itinerary and had maps and suggestions in a folder, the Type Twos were so appreciative and the Type Twos offered help with luggage and shared their resources readily which the Type Five needed having packed minimally… and when invited to a large gathering, the Type Twos arrived early and were trying to help set up and talk to the leader, and see what was needed, the Type Five was in the car, getting some quiet time before the (somewhat draining) main event…

What they enjoyed that the weekend, was the adventure, weather and outings with each other and the chance to debrief with someone who shared the wonderful experience. What joy to have good friends that help us in our weak areas and appreciate our strengths!

The ASAP access of social media and instant messaging makes old fashion phone calls seem outdated. Dialing up someone and waiting for it to ring, then having a conversation where you give attention to one person and what they have to say… what a quaint notion.

Are there any teenagers or young adults in your life? Try the 3 Minute Check In. My kids will pick up now that I have instituted this format. There is often a reason for the call, but I have thought about it and have three minutes to check in with them as well, how are they – what’s up recently, and then my idea, request or question.

If you have older friends or relatives that still use the phone to stay in touch, it might be good to think of your own adaptation of the 3 Minute Check In. If Aunt Martha reports on every physical ailment and condition of her and her neighbors, you might try the 10 Minute Check In. Just the structure of the time frame might help to eliminate organize topics.

Whether it’s a land line, a hand held or the latest cell phone there is a place for the voice to voice conversations, especially when travelling, to help you feel connected. Skype was a challenge for this tech resistant caller, until our daughter was studying abroad – then it was a magic portal into her international experience. How do you best connect with your friends and loved ones?

Sometimes you have to go back, touch base with your roots… experience something from your youth to get perspective…

This week I am road tripping with a dear friend, it is part sacred mission and part nostalgia that leads us into the farm country above Dallas, and then onto Baton Rouge, New Orleans and now into Oxford, Mississippi (home of Ole Miss University). First stop, burying her precious momma’s ashes in the family cemetery just off the same farm that four generations have lived, ashes to ashes and dust to dust. But what glorious dust when the Spirit has breathed life into, and the recipient is sharp and aware of returning to the Love that birthed her.

Several decades later, so much is the same – the farm house, the barn, the front porch and the beauty of the country, but so much has changed – the little kids who are grown up, some have married and have their own families, all of them sharing the legacy of this land. The cycle of life, living in different states now except for one uncle and aunt who have tended the place for this generation.